Chaрtеr 17: Sо Wrоng Нe Wanted tо Slаp Himsеlf Twicе!
“Вrоthеr?” Shе blinkеd in cоnfusiоn.
“It’s gеtting lаte, and I still hаve some offiсiаl duties tо аttеnd tо,” hе eхрlаined softlу.
“Аh? Alright thеn.” Shen Mingshu’s tonе cаrried a hint of rеluctаncе.
Jiаng Xun glanсed at her, his еуеs dаrkening slightly, but in thе еnd, hе оnly instructеd Xiаo Tаng softly.
“Gо brew somе ginger soup аnd bring it оvеr.”
Thеn hе turned to Shen Мingshu. “Mаkе sure to drink it. Yоu were сaught in thе rаin tоdaу, so be сareful nоt tо сatch a cold.”
Shen Mingshu noddеd еagerly like а сhick peсking аt rice.
Drink! I’ll definitely drink it! Every last drop!
The wind swept through the corridor, lifting the hem of Jiang Xun’s robe.
It was good that he left. If he had stayed any longer, he was truly afraid he might…
Standing in the night, he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his gaze was clear and composed.
Little Round Studio.
Outside the window, the rain pattered softly against the eaves of the corridor.
After Jiang Xun left, Shen Mingshu began painting at her desk, depicting red plum blossoms in the snow.
As she painted, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly retrieved the Yunqi wooden brush from the box beside her.
How could Brother have forgotten to take this brush!
She had gone through so much trouble to buy it—how could she not give it to him!
Listening-to-Pines Pavilion.
Qing He knelt in the center of the study, forehead pressed to the ground, trembling all over.
Twenty strokes of the rod had left his back bloody, soaking through his clothes. Blood seeped from his collar, trickling down and dripping onto the dark floor tiles.
He could no longer kneel properly, now almost lying on the ground, unable to even lift his head.
Jiang Xun sat behind the desk. “Do you understand your mistake?”
Qing He struggled to speak. “This subordinate understands his mistake.”
Jiang Xun stood up and walked to his side, looking down at him from above.
“Remember this: she is the Second Miss of the Shen family, your master. She must not be disrespected.”
Qing He pressed his forehead heavily against the ground, enduring the intense pain as he whispered, “This subordinate understands.”
He was wrong—so wrong he wanted to slap himself twice!
Before, he had only thought that Second Miss was always siding with Xiao Zheng, repeatedly causing his lord to suffer grievances, which had provoked him into speaking disrespectfully in a moment of anger.
But today at Qiyin Tower, Second Miss had rushed over in the rain, unwilling to delay even with a sprained ankle, and had gone to great lengths to find the Yunqi wooden brush for his lord.
Then he knew that Second Miss still cared for his lord.
From now on, he would never speak out of turn again.
Regardless of whether his lord cared or not, as a subordinate, he must never overstep his bounds.
Jiang Xun ordered coldly, “Take him away.”
The attendants outside immediately entered, carefully supporting the nearly unconscious Qing He as they led him out.
Jiang Xun added, “Summon the estate physician and treat him properly. He need not follow me again until his injuries have healed.”
“Yes,” the attendant replied before leaving.
The rain continued to patter softly, washing the night with an even colder clarity.
A short while later, a gentle knock sounded from outside.
“Lord Jiang, this servant Chun Xing. Second Miss instructed me to deliver something.”
Jiang Xun allowed her to enter. Chun Xing respectfully presented the wooden box in her hands.
“Did she have any other message?”
Chun Xing shook her head. Jiang Xun dismissed her and opened the wooden box, revealing the ink-black brush inside.
The Yunqi wooden brush had a smooth, jet-black shaft with natural grain patterns.
He dipped the brush in ink, and on the white paper, the ink flowed like silk. He wrote slowly.
After a few moments, three characters appeared on the paper.
Shen Mingshu.
His A Shu.
Early the next morning, before dawn, the estate remained silent. Yet Jiang Xun was already awake, standing by the study window.
The lamp on the desk, which had burned through the night, still flickered.Urgent footsteps sounded outside the door. A servant lifted the curtain and entered, speaking in a low voice, “Sir, the person has been brought.”
Jiang Xun looked up. “Let him in.”
A black-clad spy was led into the room. “Reporting, sir. Last night, I followed the trail overnight to a manor outside the southwest city. Zhang Wu had stayed there for a period of time before, seemingly hidden away deliberately.”
Jiang Xun focused intently. “Did you find the person?”
Zhang Wu was the man caught at the Fourth Prince’s residence that day, the one who had drugged Shen Mingshu.
After he bit his tongue and committed suicide, the trail went cold, forcing them to start investigating his past.
The man replied softly, “By the time I arrived, the manor was already empty. Upon investigation, I discovered three bodies hidden in the well behind the courtyard—Zhang Wu’s wife and young son.”
Jiang Xun lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Why wasn’t this discovered earlier?”
“The household Zhang Wu stayed in was listed as vacant in the records, and it seems someone deliberately erased their traces,” the spy whispered.
“Examining the remaining traces in the manor, I deduced it was the work of the Jiangnan Cold Moon Division. This assassin organization serves only a very few powerful nobles, and in the capital, the only one with old ties to them is Prince Xuan.”
“Prince Xuan…” Jiang Xun’s lips tightened.
The servant standing beside Jiang Xun spoke up. “I dare to speculate that the mastermind behind the incident with the Second Young Lady that day is Prince Xuan!”
“To be able to drug someone in the Fourth Prince’s residence and silently kill these three people overnight—there aren’t many who could accomplish such a thing. Prince Xuan is one of them!”
“And how Prince Xuan has committed crimes and atrocities over the years—who among the noble families in the capital doesn’t know? He’s a complete lecher, most fond of targeting noble young ladies from respectable families!”
“Some of the women he violated took their own lives that very night; others were forced to marry into Prince Xuan’s household as concubines or maidservants, living a life worse than death.”
“Prince Xuan is also the Emperor’s own brother. Every year, people accuse him, and every year, the accusations are suppressed!”
“If it weren’t for the Second Young Lady finding you, sir, I’m afraid…”
Jiang Xun remained silent, his face grim, but his hand had already clenched tightly.
His knuckles cracked, turning white, his nails nearly digging into his palm.
A quarter of an hour later, footsteps sounded outside the door again.
A servant entered to announce, “Sir, His Highness the Fourth Prince has arrived.”
Jiang Xun looked up. “Invite him in.”
A young man in a moon-white brocade robe strode in. His face was clear and handsome, his demeanor naturally carrying an air of ease, his eyes bright and clear like moonlight reflected in a clear spring.
“It’s been a while since I last visited you. Why is everything still so rigid? Not a single slanted branch in the potted plants in your room—don’t you find maintaining them like this exhausting?”
The Fourth Prince casually teased as he walked straight to the table and sat down. A servant beside him immediately stepped forward, respectfully pouring him a cup of hot tea.
Jiang Xun cupped his hands in a customary salute.
“Has Your Highness come to see me because there is progress in the matter?”
“Indeed,” the Fourth Prince began. “This morning, someone delivered several documents—the accounts of Xu Jinzhi, the Vice Minister of Personnel under the Crown Prince’s faction, suspected of embezzlement. I ordered an investigation for a few days and have uncovered some evidence.”
Jiang Xun understood. “A few more days of detailed investigation, and with solid evidence, we can have the censors submit a memorial.”
“Naturally.” Once the matter was settled, the Fourth Prince relaxed further. His gaze inadvertently fell upon the brush on Jiang Xun’s desk.
The brush was truly eye-catching, impossible to miss.
Its body was pitch black like lacquer, faintly shimmering with a halo.
“This is…” he exclaimed softly. “A cloud-lacquer wood brush? Such a brush is quite rare.”He stood up and reached out to take a look, but was blocked by a raised hand. Turning his head, he saw the brush had already been taken by Jiang Xun.
The Fourth Prince then chuckled, “You won’t even let me touch it? Who gave you this brush? Is it that precious?”
Jiang Xun replied calmly, “Mingshu gave it to me.”
“Shen… who?” the Fourth Prince exclaimed, “You said Shen Mingshu gave it to you?!”
“Impossible.”
After processing the information, the Fourth Prince immediately denied it.
That little girl Shen Mingshu, though exceptionally beautiful, was timid beyond compare.
Every time she saw Jiang Xun, she acted like a mouse spotting a cat, practically going out of her way to avoid him, terrified of being noticed by him.
Would someone like that buy a brush for Jiang Xun?
He simply didn’t believe it.